Chicken Quesadillas

So, after a long day of grocery shopping and an even longer battle with Marie's reflux today, time flew from me. I just finished reorganizing the pantry, got Marie down for a nap finally and then Jason walks in from work.

I had no idea what I was doing for dinner, but he said he was hungry, so make it snappy.

Chicken Quesadillas to the rescue! Super quick to make, and we ALWAYS have cheese, tortillas and chicken stocked.

Seasonings:


(I like to use my own mix of stuff, but you can just use taco or fajita seasoning here.)

Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper
Paprika (optional)
Cumin
Chili Powder

Ingredients:

Chicken Breasts or Thighs (leftover chicken does well with this recipe!)
Tortillas (I used Mission's Whole Wheat Tortillas. They have extra crunch!)
Cheese (I used Monterrey Jack)

Various Condiments:
Not limited to, but may include:

Sour Cream
Guacamole
Salsa

Kitchenware Needed:

Cutting Board
Tongs
Knife
Spatula
Griddle or Large Skillet
Meat Mallet (or can substitute other heavy flattening object)


So let's go!

 All of the spices used, with the exception of the chili powder are above. Below are the chicken breasts awaiting annihilation, er, tenderization.

 Now that they are fully tenderized, it's time to season them. Start off with your salt and pepper first on each side. This way, they marry with the chicken and don't get hidden by the other spices you'll be using.

 Heat up your pan or griddle to Medium heat, or 350. When heated, get the chicken cooking!

 I do about 3-5 minutes per side. You want them browned, but not burnt.

Ah, the cheese!! While the chicken is cooking, you can grate your cheese. What the heck, I buy the stuff prepackaged, I can skip this step. No, listen! Ever wonder why the pre-grated cheese is so stiff? It's because the companies use cornstarch to preserve it. Thus, making it harder to melt quickly. Save money by spending a little time (about a minute) to grate some cheese! I promise, it makes a big difference. Easier to melt, and oh so fun to drop crumbs on the floor for the puppies to fight over!

 Get the cleaning fairy to either take care of your dirty pan/griddle or get a new one! While she's working, thinly slice up your chicken, and get your tortillas ready.

You HAVE to get your tortillas crispy. You know how when you make pancakes, you wait for the bubble to appear before you flip it? The same thing goes here. Wait until you see a few bubbles, and then flip. Look at that crispy goodness...

 Carefully, put your cheese and chicken on your tortilla, and not on the pan! Otherwise, you'll make a stinky mess. If there are other things you want to add, such as olives, onions, or the like, throw them on now.

 Throw the other tortilla on top, and you're done! Use a pizza cutter to cut the quesadilla, trust me, it makes it much easier!

Enjoy!


You could use a bunch of different leftover meats in this recipe. Once, I had half of a meatloaf leftover, and I crumbled it up in a pan, added some spices and water, and then made these!

Don't be limited by Cheddar or Monterrey Jack either! Experiment with cheese combinations